It’s hot. Time to step inside and hibernate. Or, is it time to step inside and rejuvenate? Desert summers have always been a good time to reset. We cherish this space between busy seasons to slow down and honor body and mind. Our natural environment is asking us to do so. Self-care is a necessity,… Read more »
Healthcare is changing. Across the globe, patients are becoming more proactive about their health and well-being, seeking approaches that do more than simply diagnose and treat disease. Increasingly, people want to understand the cause of illness rather than simply manage symptoms, what role their lifestyle may play in their health and how to prevent future… Read more »
Before you dive into anything new, it’s a good idea to identify your ‘why.’ Our reasoning not only clarifies our purpose; it also helps keep us on track and alleviates burnout. It can be our most powerful motivator, especially when it comes to our health. Living a truly healthy life takes practice and perseverance. It… Read more »
For people living with chronic knee or shoulder pain from osteoarthritis, Desert Regional Medical Center’s Comprehensive Cancer Center (CCC) now offers a treatment that doesn’t involve surgery, injections or daily medication: low-dose radiation therapy (LDRT). The use of LDRT for arthritis dates back over 100 years. While it remained a common treatment in Europe, its… Read more »
The future of healthcare leadership is built not only through textbooks and classroom instruction. It is built through compassion, mentorship, service and meaningful human connection. At Coachella Valley High School (CVHS), the Health Academy students involved in HOSA–Future Health Professionals continue to demonstrate that leadership in healthcare begins long before entering a hospital or clinic.… Read more »
Summer in the Coachella Valley presents unique wellness challenges beyond high temperatures. As the frequency of outdoor activities declines, many full-time residents—particularly older adults, caregivers and individuals living alone—experience increased isolation due to fewer opportunities for meaningful social connection. Public health organizations increasingly recognize social isolation and loneliness as significant health concerns. According to the… Read more »
The current standard of care for early-stage breast cancers is lumpectomy. For decades, the question has not been whether more can be done, but whether the evidence supports doing less. The six-year outcomes of the Freezing Instead of Resection of Small Tumors (FROST) trial, recently published in the Annals of Surgical Oncology, represent a meaningful… Read more »
Imagine you’re in a meeting at work. A colleague interrupts you, dismisses your idea or makes a cutting remark in front of the group. You may feel embarrassed, hurt or even enraged, yet your mind goes blank. Hours later, you’re still wondering, Why didn’t I say something? Most of us focus on this reaction and… Read more »
Before you know it, fall will be here and with it, the inevitable start of flu season. But year-round, teams are collecting and studying influenza samples in over 129 countries around the globe. The most dangerous and contagious viral strains are then identified and incorporated into the United States flu vaccine formulation to help recipients… Read more »
If truth be told, when my cat Mazel showed up five years ago, just after the loss of my beloved dog Havi, I was pondering rescuing a dog. In hindsight, I’ve become acutely aware that God must get a good laugh while we are busy making plans. I’ve never really given much thought to… Read more »
Tangerine peel, known in Traditional Chinese Medicine as Chen Pi, is one of the most revered herbs in the Chinese pharmacopeia. It has been documented since the Han Dynasty (2nd century BCE) in the Shen Nong Bencao Jing, the foundational encyclopedia of Chinese herbalism, and still used today. The name tells the story: Chen means… Read more »
Summer promises relaxation, but many people continue to feel busy, overstimulated and stressed. This makes it the perfect time to embrace a “summer slowdown” and nurture one of the body’s most powerful pathways for recovery and resilience: the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve is the longest cranial nerve and serves as a major communication pathway… Read more »
Trust the beauty industry to coin another term designed to make desert dwellers tremble. Inflammaging. That glorious intersection of aging and inflammation. Yes, it’s real and well-documented.1 But no, it’s not a new disaster. It’s just a name for something skin does as it ages. And it’s not a women-only club; men’s skin ages this… Read more »
What’s the scariest thing you’ve ever done? For me, it wasn’t changing careers. It wasn’t starting over in my mid-40s. It wasn’t letting go of a life I thought would unfold differently. It was choosing to pivot. Because pivoting asks us to do something that feels completely counterintuitive. It asks us to pause when everything… Read more »
An age-old activity is the simple act of casting a flat pebble over a body of water, watching it bounce and skip across the surface. This skimming effect is performed, often without thinking, to ease anxiety—a small ritual of release. Nowadays, “skimming the surface” describes something far more common; the way we move through everyday… Read more »
I have always wanted to try a fast as the ultimate reset. But I just couldn’t swallow the thought of living on water alone. I love food and am no fun when hangry. Recently, I was introduced to the Fasting Mimicking Diet. At a conference earlier this year, the conversation turned to night sweats, a… Read more »
The future of Coachella is brighter because of the passion, leadership and service of the Coachella Valley High School Public Service Academy (PSA) students who partnered with Blue Zones Project Coachella. Together, these remarkable students contributed nearly 2,000 volunteer hours and participated in more than 25 community events, bringing health, wellness and connection to residents… Read more »
When most people think about their well-being, they think about doctors, gyms or diets. But what if one of the most powerful influences on our health and happiness is actually our favorite coffee shop, neighborhood restaurant, bookstore, salon, nonprofit or other local business? That idea sits at the heart of the work Blue Zones is… Read more »
Most of us try to make healthy choices. We eat the foods that we are told are good for us. We choose whole grains. We eat fish for protein and omega-3s. We avoid processed foods. We believe we are doing the right thing for our bodies. But sometimes, even healthy choices can carry hidden risks.… Read more »
If you are taking Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro or any other GLP-1 medication, the scale is probably moving in the right direction. The question is, what is happening to the rest of your body while that number goes down? Here is the part your doctor may not have spent enough time on. Clinical trials, including the… Read more »